President Trump’s Treasury secretary and director of legislative affairs backed their boss Sunday as the president continued to war with NFL players taking the knee during the national anthem.
‘I think the reality is that there are high school coaches across America today who are punished for leading their players in prayer. And, yet, when an NFL player takes a knee, somehow that player is presumed to be a martyr for a social cause,’ Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, told NBC’s Chuck Todd.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, speaking to Jake Tapper on CNN, pointed out that the professional football league has ‘different types of rules’ for nearly everything, so why not this.
‘What the president is saying –and I think the owners should meet and they should vote on a rule – this is about respect for our military, this is about respect for our first responders, this is not about Republicans or Democrats,’ Mnuchin told Tapper.
On the Sunday shows, White House and cabinet officials defended President Trump’s position on NFL players taking the knee during the national anthem
President Trump’s Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (left) and Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short (right) defended the content and timing of Trump’s comments this weekend on NFL players taking the knee during the National Anthem
President Trump doubled down on remarks he made by dashing off two tweets Sunday morning suggesting players should be fired for taking the knee – and the American public should boycott NFL games
‘Players have the right for free speech off the field,’ the Treasury secretary added.
Mnuchin said he didn’t understand why the NFL would bar a team from, say, decorating their helmets, yet not step in on this issue.
‘But now the NFL is saying people should be able to decide what they want to do and disrespect the United States flag,’ the treasury secretary scoffed.
Tapper interjected and said he was playing ‘devil’s advocate,’ pointing out the players don’t believe they’re dishonoring the American flag, but instead engaging in peaceful protest.
Last season, San Francisco 49ers player Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner as a quiet way to protest racial inequality. This season Kaepernick wasn’t picked up to play for a team, though other players have taken up the banner.
On CNN, the State of the Union host noted to Mnuchin that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had sided with the players, calling the president’s comments ‘divisive,’ as had New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who’s a personal friend of Trump’s.
‘Why is this a fight that the president wants to have?’ the CNN newsman asked.
On Sunday morning, Trump had doubled down on previous comments he made about athletes and taking the knee by suggested Americans should boycott football games to punish those who are protesting.
The president also advised that the players participating be axed.
‘If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place fast. Fire or suspend!’ Trump tweeted.
‘NFL attendance and ratings are WAY DOWN. Boring games yes, but many stay away because they love our country. League should back U.S.,’ the president added.
Despite the president’s fresh tweets, Mnuchin answered Tapper by saying, ‘I don’t think it’s a question of a fight the president wants to have.’
‘He thinks this is about respect for the military and so many people who put their lives at risk and what the country stands for,’ Mnuchin said.
The Treasury secretary repeated his idea for the owners to come together and make a rule on whether players can take the knee.
‘Again, for as long as I can remember, people have stood in honor of this country, this isn’t about politics,’ Mnuchin said. ‘If people want to talk politics off the field when they’re not working for the NFL, they have the absolute right to do that.’
Over on NBC, Todd asked Short if Trump was harping on the athletes to distract from the news of the Republican health care vote.
On Friday, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had again said that he planned to vote no on the latest Senate GOP-led effort to kill Obamacare, despite the bill being authored by one of his closest friends in the Senate, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
On CNN Sunday, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said it was ‘very difficult’ for her to envision a scenario where she wouldn’t vote no – which means there’s no road for the Republicans to get it passed.
‘I think you’re probably reading much more into it than there is,’ Short told Todd. ‘I think the president has felt this way on this position for awhile. Friday night was a forum in which he could express it.’
‘I don’t think it has anything to do with the health care vote coming up,’ Short added.
On Friday night, Trump took the stage in Huntsville, Alabama, at a rally to support incumbent Republican Sen. Luther Strange, who is facing a tough run-off against another GOP candidate.
There, Trump said it would be great if an NFL owner responded to a player protesting by saying, ‘Get that son of a b***h off the field right now, out, he’s fired. He’s fired!’